Presents
by honouraryweasley12
Summary: Ron celebrates his birthday with his wife and children.


**Presents**

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 **Author's Note:** Originally published on July 5, 2009

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Ron woke up to his favourite sight in the world-his wife's beautiful smile. He noticed that she was wide awake and her eyes were fully concentrated on taking in his features. Even after their years together, his heart still raced when she leaned forward and greeted him with a long, intense kiss.

"Brilliant!" He squeaked in awe after they broke apart, his voice a few octaves higher than normal. She had told him once that she found this little quirk adorable.

"Mmm...happy birthday, love." She said before throwing her arms around him possessively and resting her head on his bare chest.

He held her tightly and was just on the cusp of drifting off into a light slumber when he felt her shake slightly. He kissed her forehead and she looked up at him with a trace of sadness in her eyes. The concern on his face must have been evident, as it caused her to sit up and run a hand over his cheek.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"It's nothing, it's silly." She tried to reassure him, but was betrayed by the tremor in her voice.

"It's not nothing if it's causing all this. Please tell me what's bothering you."

She caressed his face and took a deep breath. "Sometimes on your birthday, I remember what happened back in sixth year, and it scares me to think about losing you. Ron, I felt so frightened and helpless when I heard that you had been poisoned, and then when I saw you lying in that bed..."

He pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered comforting words in her ear. "That day was a blessing in disguise; it brought us back in each other's lives. Do you want to know what I remember most about that day? Waking up to find you sitting at my bedside, your face all scrunched up with worry about me. I didn't even realize I had almost died; all I could focus on was the fact that you still cared about me, and that our relationship was still salvageable. That was the best present I have ever received. If you ever think about that day, just remember the good that came of it."

He felt her nod her against his shoulder. "Besides," he continued, "that day also made me lose my appetite for Chocolate Cauldrons. I can't even look at the things without gagging."

Hermione let out a laugh and pulled away from her husband. The smile on her face was genuine, the sadness in her eyes replaced with joy. "I love you," she whispered before pulling him in for an intimate kiss.

The snog quickly turned heated as Hermione's fingers dove into Ron's hair and his lips ran down her jaw line, causing her to moan. "Love you so much," he mumbled before attacking her neck with wet, open-mouth kisses. Just as he was about to pull down the straps of her slip and _properly_ celebrate his birthday, they were interrupted by the patter of light footsteps and hushed whispers outside their bedroom door. A number of knocks soon followed.

Ron stopped and rested his forehead on Hermione's shoulder, cursing lightly under his breath. He felt her hot breath against his earlobe, causing him to let out a moan of his own. "Later."

He lifted his head and gave her a mischievous grin. "Are you sure we can't send them to their rooms for an hour or two?"

"Hush Ron, they've been waiting patiently for days to give you your gifts. You had better devote yourself to them all morning, because I've arranged for your parents to take them for the rest of the weekend...that's my gift to you." She licked her lips, and his hands, which had wandered down near her waist, gripped her tightly. An impatient sounding knock again echoed in the room.

Ron let out a sigh. "You're killing me, you know that, right? Merlin, I love you. I guess we'd better let the little Pygmy Puffs in."

He reluctantly pulled away from his wife and reached for the wand on his bedside table. With a quick flick of his wrist, the door opened, allowing for the entrance of his two most cherished treasures. They came running into the room and leapt up on the large bed.

"Happy Birthday, Daddy!" Rose yelled, while Hugo jumped into Ron's arms and gave him a hug.

Rose meticulously placed three wrapped packages between her parents before being pulled into a hug from Ron.

"What's all this, then?" Ron asked with laughter in his voice. He was overcome by their enthusiasm for his birthday.

"Daddy, those are your presents. Hugo and I made them ourselves, with Mummy's help." She gave him a gap-toothed grin before settling down on the bed and handing him a small box. "This one is from me."

Ron put Hugo down next to his sister and accepted her gift. He gave her a warm smile and shook it gently for a minute, making a grand show of trying to figure out what it was and inciting laughter from his children and wife. He quickly tore off the wrapping and opened up the unlabeled box to find a large coffee mug covered in Rose's drawings. He leaned down and kissed her on the nose. "This is beautiful, my little flower."

"Thank you, Daddy." She said shyly before explaining what each drawing was.

"This is going straight to my office at the Ministry," Ron promised. His desk was home to an ever-growing collection of photos and special knickknacks which reminded him of his family; he needed them to get through the long, sometimes gruelling days of being an Auror.

Hugo proudly thrust his package into Ron's hands. "I made it all by myself, Daddy."

He ruffled his son's hair affectionately before opening up the present. Inside was a plain black necktie which had been painted with orange designs in the distinctive style of a four-year-old. "Daddy likes orange." Hugo said matter-of-factly, causing both Ron and Hermione to chuckle.

"You are right, son. Daddy likes orange very much. Thank you for the wonderful gift." He pulled his son in for a hug before Hugo squirmed out of his grasp and grabbed the last gift.

"This is from both of us," Rose explained.

"Another gift? But you have given me so much already." He tore into the wrapping, but when he saw what was contained within, he was forced to plaster a huge fake smile on his face so as not to upset his children. They were both looking up at him expectantly with their large, innocent eyes. "Aren't you going to have one, Daddy?"

"Sure, sweetie." He replied, knowing he would never be able to disappoint them. He visibly gulped while Hermione failed to stifle her laughter. He stuffed the Chocolate Cauldron in his mouth and swallowed it quickly while maintaining the manufactured look of delight on his face. "Thanks you two, but what made you decide on these?"

"Uncle Harry said you liked them."

"Remind me to thank Uncle Harry."

A still laughing Hermione interjected in the conversation. "Now that you have given Daddy his gifts, it's time to get washed up for breakfast."

They both jumped off the bed and ran down the hall, while Hermione banished the wrapping paper.

"We're so lucky, aren't we, Hermione?" He asked as he watched them run off.

"Yes, we are very lucky indeed."

She glanced over at her husband, who was now examining the box of Chocolate Cauldrons with a sickly look on his face.

"I know many attempts have been made, but I'm going to succeed where others have failed."

"What are you talking about, Ron?"

"I'm going to kill Harry Potter."


End file.
